deal

[ deel ]

/ dil /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: deal / dealing / dealt on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), dealt, deal·ing.

to occupy oneself or itself (usually followed by with or in): Botany deals with the study of plants. He deals in generalities.

to take action with respect to a thing or person (followed by with): Law courts must deal with lawbreakers.

to conduct oneself toward persons: He deals fairly.

to be able to handle competently or successfully; cope (followed by with): I can't deal with your personal problems.

to trade or do business (followed by with or in): to deal with a firm; to deal in used cars.

to distribute, especially the cards in a game (often followed by out): to deal out five hands of six cards each; your turn to deal.

Slang. to buy and sell drugs illegally.

Archaic. to have dealings or commerce, often in a secret or underhand manner (often followed by with): to deal with the Devil.

verb (used with object), dealt, deal·ing.

to give to one as a share; apportion: Deal me in.

to distribute among a number of recipients, as the cards required in a game: Deal five cards to each player.

Cards. to give a player (a specific card) in dealing: You dealt yourself four aces.

to deliver; administer: to deal a blow.

Slang. to buy and sell (drugs) illegally.

Slang. to trade (an athlete) to another team.

noun

a business transaction: They closed the deal after a week of negotiating.

a bargain or arrangement for mutual advantage: the best deal in town.

a secret or underhand agreement or bargain: His supporters worked a number of deals to help his campaign.

Informal. treatment received in dealing with another: He got a raw deal.

an indefinite but large quantity, amount, extent, or degree (usually preceded by good or great): a good deal of work; a great deal of money.

Cards.

the distribution of cards to the players in a game.
the set of cards in one's hand.
the turn of a player to deal.
the period of time during which a deal is played.

an act of dealing or distributing.

(initial capital letter) an economic and social policy pursued by a political administration: the Fair Deal; the New Deal.

Obsolete. portion; share.

Verb Phrases

deal off,

Poker. to deal the final hand of a game.
Slang. to get rid of or trade (something or someone) in a transaction.

SYNONYMS FOR deal

3 act, behave.

5 traffic.

10 allot, assign, dole; mete, dispense.

16 pact, contract.

See synonyms for deal on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.

Question 1 of 8

Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?

The Sunflower State

The Evergreen State

The Magnolia State

The Mockingbird State

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for deal

cut a deal, Informal. to make an agreement, especially a business agreement: Networks have cut a deal with foreign stations for an international hookup.

deal someone in, Slang. to include: He was making a lot of dough in the construction business so I got him to deal me in.

Origin of deal

before 900; (v.) Middle English delen,Old English dǣlan (cognate with German teilen), derivative of dǣl part (cognate with German Teil); (noun) in part derivative of the v.; (in defs. 19, 23) Middle English deel, del(e), Old English dǣl

Definition for deal (2 of 2)

deal²

[ deel ]

/ dil /

noun

a board or plank, especially of fir or pine, cut to any of various standard sizes.

such boards collectively.

fir or pine wood.

adjective

made of deal.

Origin of deal

1375–1425; late Middle English dele<Middle Low German or Middle Dutch; see thill

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for deal

As an example of good science-and-society policymaking, the history of fluoride may be more of a cautionary tale.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
“Personally, I deal with manners of righteousness and God,” he says.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The speaker conjures up centuries of collective sagacity, aligning oneself with an eternal, inarguable good.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I think everybody would like to be handsome and good at karate.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Petty, shade, and thirst are my favorite human “virtues” and the trifecta of any good series of “stories.”
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We resolved to do our best to merit the good opinion which we thus supposed them to entertain of us.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
And with some expressions of mutual good-will and interest, master and man separated.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
They are very urgent questions; our sons and daughters will have to begin to deal with them from the moment they leave college.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
She did not need a great cook-book; She knew how much and what it took To make things good and sweet and light.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
The Seven-score and four on the six middle Bells, the treble leading, and the tenor lying behind every change, makes good Musick.
Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing|Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman

British Dictionary definitions for deal (1 of 3)

deal¹

/ (diːl) /

verb deals, dealing or dealt (dɛlt)

(intr foll by in) to engage (in) commerciallyto deal in upholstery

(often foll by out) to apportion (something, such as cards) to a number of people; distribute

(tr) to give (a blow) to (someone); inflict

(intr) slang to sell any illegal drug

noun

informal a bargain, transaction, or agreement

a particular type of treatment received, esp as the result of an agreementa fair deal

an indefinite amount, extent, or degree (esp in the phrases good or great deal)

cards

the process of distributing the cards
a player's turn to do this
a single round in a card game

See big deal

cut a deal informal, mainly US to come to an arrangement; make a dealSee also deal with

the real deal informal a person or thing seen as being authentic and not inferior in any way

Word Origin for deal

Old English dǣlan, from dǣl a part; compare Old High German teil a part, Old Norse deild a share

British Dictionary definitions for deal (2 of 3)

deal²

/ (diːl) /

noun

a plank of softwood timber, such as fir or pine, or such planks collectively

the sawn wood of various coniferous trees, such as that from the Scots pine (red deal) or from the Norway Spruce (white deal)

adjective

of fir or pine

Word Origin for deal

C14: from Middle Low German dele plank; see thill

British Dictionary definitions for deal (3 of 3)

Deal

/ (diːl) /

noun

a town in SE England, in Kent, on the English Channel: two 16th-century castles: tourism, light industries. Pop: 96 670 (2003 est)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with deal

deal

In addition to the idioms beginning with deal

deal in
deal out
deal with

also see:

big deal
close the sale (deal)
cut a deal
done deal
good deal
make a federal case (big deal)
no deal
raw deal
square deal
sweeten the kitty (deal)
wheel and deal

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

deal

verb (used without object), dealt, deal·ing.

verb (used with object), dealt, deal·ing.